February brings forgiveness at the library

Tuesday

Jan 29, 2013 at 8:42 AMJan 29, 2013 at 8:43 AM

By Nancy Hastings

nancy.hastings@hillsdale.netHILLSDALE — Finding forgiveness is something the Hillsdale Community Library hopes will inspire patrons and restock shelves during its February Forgiveness promotion.To remove at least one of the barriers to returning an overdue library book, Hillsdale Community Library borrowers are encouraged to return their overdue books and library materials without penalty or fine during February Forgiveness, which will run Feb. 1 through Feb. 28. Materials returned need to be in good condition. No questions will be asked and no fines will be charged for the items returned.Library Director LeAnn Beckwith said each year the library loses books.“Some, of course, are legitimately lost and will never be recovered,” she said. “The vast majority, however, are still in the possession of the original borrower and could be returned if the borrower made a small effort.”What makes these losses especially difficult to bear is their effect on other library patrons, she said.“Imagine the frustration of a patron who desperately needs a particular volume to complete a project, or that of a patron who would like to read the latest best-seller, only to find that week after week, month after month, the book is not available,” Beckwith said.At a time when book costs are spiraling upwards, replacing a lost or missing book can often be far more than the original purchase price. Beckwith said the types of books not being returned vary, but it’s especially frustrating to patrons who wish to read best-sellers and have to remain on a waiting list until the book is available.Patron phone numbers and addresses change, so stacks of return-to-sender mail are not uncommon, Beckwith said.While the purpose of the amnesty is to promote the return of needed library materials and to clear patron records, the amnesty does not include overdue fines still on record from previously returned or renewed materials.To get people excited about using their library, Beckwith said the board is planning a big campaign in the near future.“We have some exciting things coming up this April,” Beckwith said. “We want to get the whole community involved — including local businesses. It's still in the planning stages; we’ll be sharing more on this campaign soon.”